


Player #2

by TheGreatCatsby



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, post season 1 seijoh match
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 12:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6470161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/pseuds/TheGreatCatsby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa runs into Sugawara after the match.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Player #2

Getting his teammates back on track after a game was like hearding cats. Oikawa prided himself on being able to get the best out of people. Unfortunately, he was only good at that sort of thing on the court. Afterwards, whether or not the team had won, everyone seemed to scatter. Which was unfortunate, because they had to be back on the court for their next game in a few minutes.

The venue of their games was unfamiliar. Oikawa felt like he was going around in circles looking for his errant first years. Stairwell, second floor bathroom, locker rooms, stairwell again, first floor bathroom, area just outside the entrance to the school.

No one, anywhere. It was getting on his nerves.

He spun around to head back inside and crashed right into someone else. He caught a glimpse of silvery-blond hair, and then brown eyes staring at him.

“Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa found himself staring at Refreshing-kun from Karasuno. Refreshing-kun was rubbing his shoulder from where Oikawa had bumped him, face pale. Like Oikawa was the last person he wanted to see. Which was probably true, given that Oikawa and his team had thoroughly crushed Karasuno not half an hour before.

Oikawa smiled. “It was a good game, Refreshing-kun,” he said. “Your team is troublesome. And you actually got to play this time!”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Oikawa realized that it was the wrong thing to say. It was the sort of thing Iwaizumi would slap him for. Refreshing-kun fixed him with an incredulous stare and said, barely trying to hide his annoyance, “Sugawara and, well, Seijoh didn't want me to play last time, did they?”

No, they hadn't, and that was Oikawa's fault. He'd only been thinking about playing Kageyama, about seeing how his adorable kouhai was coping with a team that would actually call him out on his dictator-like behaviors. And even back then, so close to the beginning of the season, Kageyama had improved from what Oikawa expected of him.

Which was scary. He was evolving, catching up. That game had taught Oikawa one thing: he couldn't underestimate his kouhai, at all.

He hadn't thought of the other setter, though he'd known that Karasuno must have had one before Kageyama joined the team. It hadn't occurred to him that this other setter would be a person with feelings. Whoever it was hadn't been on his radar at all.

Right now, faced with that person, Oikawa felt kind of bad. Bad enough that he couldn't actually say anything.

“You wanted to watch Kageyama crash and burn,” Sugawara continued mildly. “But he didn't back then and he hasn't now. He picks up things quickly, including how to work on a team, and he's always willing to learn. I'm sure that was disappointing.”

Oikawa blinked. Disappointing. It had been. He narrowed his eys at Sugawara, who wasn't being very refreshing now despite his smiles and general air of positivity on the court. “I was sizing up the competition.”

“You weren't even there for most of the game.”

“I wanted to be there,” Oikawa said.

“Did it scare you?” Sugawara asked. Oikawa's mouth dropped open. “I mean, does someone like you even get scared of other players?”

It sounded like he knew the answer to that, but Oikawa didn't want to give it to him. He still couldn't believe Sugawara had even asked. Refreshing, like hell. He had to turn this around.

“Like I said, I was curious about my competitor,” he said.

“Karasuno is your competition,” Sugawara pointed. “Kageyama is one person. But I'm sure you've realized that.”

Oikawa had. Karasuno was evolving together rather than just as individuals.

“How did it feel,” he asked, “knowing that you were being rapidly outshined by your kouhai?”

“Shocking, at first,” Sugawara said with a small shrug. “But now, it's my best weapon.”

Then he grinned, wide, and there was nothing forced about it. He was genuinely pleased, and that made Oikawa almost take a step back.

“What?”

“No one is going to consider that Karasuno has another setter,” Sugawara said, “just like you didn't. Faced with Kageyama, no one is going to think about me, or what I can do, so they'll always be surprised when I come onto the court.”

Oikawa stared at him.

“I'm not going to be satisfied with just that, though,” Sugawara continued. “I plan to learn even more ways to fight in order to keep surprising people. Next time we meet, I'll even surprise you.”

And he winked. Refreshing-kun winked at him, and Oikawa's heart did something very uncomfortable. This wasn't the same sense of burning competition he felt when faced with Kageyama. Karasuno's #2 had a way of making the whole thing feel pleasant somehow, and yet Oikawa's brain was ticking away trying to read him, trying to figure out just what he was thinking, what his next move would be. He hated to admit it, but he was itching to play Sugawara again.

“I'd like to see you try,” he said, placing his hands on his hips. “I think after seeing you on the court I can read you pretty well.”

“Is that so,” Sugawara said. “I'll just have to try harder. We're not going to lose next time.”

“Neither are we,” Oikawa said. “And there can only be one winner.”

Sugawara nodded and tilted his head a little to the side, looking past Oikawa. “I need to go. And I'm sure you need to prepare for your next match.”

Oikawa cursed to himself. He did. And he hadn't found his wayward first years. Yet he didn't want this conversation to end like this. Refreshing-kun was intriguing. “You should keep me updated on your progress,” he said, smirking, “so I know just how badly you're going to lose next time.”

Sugawara laughed. The sound, light and free, also did something to Oikawa's chest. “Why would I do a thing like that?” he asked, stepping around Oikawa. “Good luck!” Also completely and utterly genuine. Oikawa stared after him as he jogged towards the parking lot, silvery-blond hair catching light in the sun.

He trudged back to the gym a few minutes later, Iwaizumi glaring at him. The first years were already there. Warm-up time was almost over. Oikawa went to pick up a ball and was stopped by Iwaizumi's hand slapping into his back.

“Ow!”

“We have a match,” Iwaizumi hissed. “Where the hell were you?”

“Looking for the first years,” Oikawa said. “You're so mean!”

“It shouldn't have taken that long.”

“I got distracted.”

“By what?”

Oikawa sighed. “Karasuno is an annoying team. I want to crush them next time. Completely.”

Iwaizumi scoffed. “Focus on the game in front of you, Shittykawa. If we lose I'm blaming you.”

*

They won. The next day would be the final match in their prefecture, against a team that Oikawa had never been able defeat before. He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous.

His phone buzzed just as he and Iwaizumi parted ways after dinner, and he stopped on the side of the road to check his messages.

**[Unknown Number 7:53PM]**

**Good luck tomorrow! We're going to beat Ushijima soon so warm him up for us! ~ Refreshing #2**

Oikawa grinned at his phone and typed his response:

**We're going to crush Ushiwaka and then crush you again. So don't get too excited. ~ Oikawa**

His phone buzzed again with a reply, and he couldn't stop smiling until he sent a goodnight text two hours later. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have an idea for a companion fic involving a lot of texting so, look out for that!


End file.
